This disclosure relates to the field of computer systems. More particularly, a system, apparatus, and methods are provided for assembling a secondary member/user profile that is separate from a primary profile that is principally populated by the member or user.
In some user environments, such as a social network, users populate personalized user profiles as they see fit. These profiles, or at least parts of these profiles, may be visible to other users, such as user with whom they have formed connections. However, not all users fully populate their profiles, while some users do not update their profiles as their circumstances change (e.g., when they change employers, when they transition to a new position), and others do not populate their profiles with accurate information or do not correct their profiles as information becomes outdated.
If a user's profile is relied upon to identify content that may be of interest to him or her (e.g., postings by other users, news articles), the less accurate the profile is, the less likely the selected content will interest that user. Even if a system that hosts or supports the environment perceives that a given field or entry in a user's profile is incorrect, it is unlikely (or unable) to make the correction because the profile is intended to be configured by the user.
In addition, when the host of the social network desires to make some content or offer available to users that may be interested, if only the users' primary profiles are considered when determining which users may be interested, a significant portion of the user community may be excluded from receipt, even though they would be interested.